Lou Gehrig's Disease

By: Brittany Harden

What is it?

• ALS is often called Lou Gehrig's disease after Lou Gehrig, a hall-of-fame baseball player for the New York Yankees who was diagnosed with ALS in the 1930s.

• ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), is an fatal neuromuscular disease that can not be cured. It is caused by progressive muscle weakness. The disease attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, Motor neurons, which control the movement of voluntary muscles, deteriorate and eventually die.

This picture shows the areas that are affected by the disease.

Life With Lou Gehrig's

• About half of all people with ALS live at least 3 years after they find out they have the disease.

• 20% live 5 or more years • As many as 10% will live up to 10 years • Living with this disease is physically difficult but

it does not affect the mind. Although communication can be difficult because it affects the persons breathing and the muscles needed for speech and arm movement.

Treatment

• Lou Gehrig's disease is not curable and you can not prevent it but treatments are available to help people with the disease.

• There are medicines that can control symptoms, such as muscle cramping and difficulty swallowing,

• Physical therapy can help people with ALS with muscle loss and breathing problems..

Research today

• Researchers are trying to find new drugs that may help slow down the disease or even cure it.

Symptoms

• Even though the disease is different for every person the common symptoms are..

• Muscle weakness in the arms and legs.• Tripping and falling a lot• Dropping things• Difficulty speaking, cramping and twitching of the

muscles, uncontrollable laughing or crying• As it gets worse over time they will have a hard

time eating, swallowing and even breathing • It may take several months for someone to know

that they even have the disease

Diagnosed?

• An electromyogram or EMG, is a test that can show if muscles are not working because of damaged nerves. Other tests include X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a spinal tap, and blood and urine tests. Muscle or nerve biopsy.

Contagious? Or Hereditary ?

• 5-10% of people with this disease get it hereditarily.

• It is not contagious

Cites

• "Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS)." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. <http://kidshealth.org/kid/grownup/conditions/als.html>.

• "Lou Gherig's Disease (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - ALS) Topic Overview." WebMD - Better Information. Better Health. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. <http://www.webmd.com/brain/tc/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis-als-topic-overview>.